An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system

ABSTRACT

An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system and method of manufacturing a non-combustible aerosol provision system, including a support element having at least one cavity and an aerosol generating material disposed within the at least one cavity, wherein the aerosol generating material includes an amorphous solid material.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No.PCT/EP2020/083795, filed Nov. 29, 2020, which claims priority from GBPatent Application No. 1917457.2, filed Nov. 29, 2019, each of which ishereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system, a method of producing such an article, and anon-combustible aerosol provision system including an article.

BACKGROUND

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobaccoduring use to create tobacco smoke. Alternative smoking articles producean inhalable aerosol or vapor by releasing compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without burning. These articles may be referred toas non-combustible smoking articles or aerosol provision systems.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is providedan article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, thearticle comprising a support element comprising at least one cavity, andan aerosol generating material disposed within the at least one cavity,wherein the aerosol generating material comprises an amorphous solidmaterial.

One or more of the cavities may comprise an aperture which extendsentirely through the thickness of the support element, and/or maycomprise a recess comprising a cut out, depression or other formationextending partially through the thickness of the support element.

The support element may comprise a substantially planar body. The atleast one cavity may extent at least partially through the thickness ofthe support element. The aerosol generating material may be off-set withrespect to a thickness or plane of the support element or portionthereof and aligned with the at least one cavity so as to be accessibletherethrough. The aerosol generating material may be disposed within thecavity within the thickness or plane of the support element or portionthereof. The aerosol generating material may be provided on a carrierlayer or substrate. The carrier layer or substrate may comprise a sheetmaterial. The carrier layer or substrate maybe attached to the at leastone support element. The at least one cavity may comprise an apertureextending entirely through the thickness of the support element. The atleast one cavity may comprise a recess extending partially through thethickness of the support element.

The support element may comprise at least two layers of sheet material.The aerosol generating material may be sandwiched between the at leasttwo layers of sheet material.

The sheet material may have a weight of between 180 GSM and 210 GSM. Thesheet material may have a thickness of between 150 pm and 400 pm.

The thickness of the support element may be between 300 pm and 800 pm.

The aerosol generating material may comprise an amorphous solid materialhaving regions of different composition within the same body ofmaterial.

The article may comprise a plurality of discrete, spaced-apart cavitiescomprising aerosol generating material.

The aerosol generating material maybe perforated.

The aerosol generating material may be provided on a substrate. Thesubstrate may comprise a metallic foil.

The material of the support element may comprise at least one of paper,cardboard, or foil.

The material of the support element may be a biodegradable material.

The article may comprise an identifying element. The identifying elementmay be a barcode, a QR code, or an RFID chip. The amorphous solidmaterial may comprise a gelling agent. The gelling agent may comprisealginate, pectin and/or carrageenan.

The amorphous solid material may be a dried hydrogel.

The amorphous solid material may further comprises an aerosol generatingagent, an active substance and/or a flavorant. The aerosol generatingagent may be glycerol. The active substance may be nicotine. Theamorphous solid material may have a thickness of around 0.015 mm and 0.5mm, or between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm, or between 0.15 mm and 0.25 mm.

The aerosol generating material may comprise a plurality of holesarranged to demarcate discrete regions of the aerosol generatingmaterial.

The article may comprise a plurality of distinct cavities comprisingamorphous solid material, wherein each cavity comprises a differentamorphous solid material.

In accordance with other embodiments described herein, there is provideda non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising an article asdescribed above and a non-combustible aerosol provision device.

The aerosol generating device may be configured to provide acustomizable heating profile such that amorphous solid material indistinct cavities of the article may be heated independently.

In accordance with other embodiments described herein, there is provideda method for producing an article as described above. The method maycomprise providing a support element including at least one cavity inthe support element, and providing an aerosol generating materialcomprising an amorphous solid material within the at least one cavity.

The method may comprise providing at least two layers of sheet materialto form the support element, at least one of the layers including atleast one cavity, and sandwiching the aerosol generating materialbetween the at least two layers of sheet material. The method maycomprise providing the aerosol generating material on a substrate. Themethod may comprise providing the substrate as comprising a metallicfoil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numerals are used to illustrate like features:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an article for usewith a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the article of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the article of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the article of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary aerosol generating devicefor use with the article of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross sectional view of an aerosol generatingassembly comprising the article of FIG. 1 received within the aerosolgenerating device of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 8 is a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment ofan article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a seventh embodiment of anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device; and

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of manufacturing anarticle for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompasssystems that deliver a substance to a user, and includes: combustibleaerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, andtobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes(whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco,reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material);non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from anaerosolizable material without combusting the aerosolizable material,such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybridsystems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolizablematerials; articles comprising aerosolizable material and configured tobe used in one of these non-combustible aerosol provision systems; andaerosol-free delivery systems, such as lozenges, gums, patches, articlescomprising inhalable powders, and smokeless tobacco products such assnus and snuff, which deliver a material to a user without forming anaerosol, wherein the material may or may not comprise nicotine.

According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provisionsystem is one where a constituent aerosolizable material of the aerosolprovision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned in orderto facilitate delivery to a user.

According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosolprovision system is one where a constituent aerosolizable material ofthe aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted orburned in order to facilitate delivery to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosolprovision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provisionsystem. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provisionsystem is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device orelectronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that thepresence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not arequirement. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provisionsystem is an aerosol generating material heating system, also known as aheat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heatingsystem. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provisionsystem is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination ofaerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated.Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in theform of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine.

In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gelaerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. Thesolid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco ora non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise anon-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use withthe non-combustible aerosol provision device.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprisingaerosol generating material and configured to be used withnon-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables aresometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, suchas a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise apower source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be anelectric power source or an exothermic power source. In someembodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substratewhich may be energized so as to distribute power in the form of heat toan aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material inproximity to the exothermic power source. In some embodiments, thenon-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area forreceiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generationarea, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifyingagent.

In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustibleaerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, anaerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating materialtransfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, ahousing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol-modifyingagent.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a first embodiment of an article 10 for use witha non-combustible aerosol provision device. The article 10 comprises aconsumable article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provisiondevice, and is intended to be a replaceable component which, oncedepleted or spent, can be replaced with another article 10 for use withthe non-combustible aerosol provision device. As referred to herein, anon-combustible aerosol provision system comprises a non-combustibleaerosol provision device in combination with one or more articles 10 foruse with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

The article 10 comprises a support element 11 and a plurality of regions12, each comprising a portion of an amorphous solid material 13, atleast one of which comprises an aerosol generating material. In theembodiment shown, the article 10 comprises six regions 12 ofsubstantially uniform size and shape, arranged in two rows of three.However any arrangement and/or number of regions may be provided withinthe scope of the invention, including one single region, and one or moreof the regions 12 maybe of a uniform size/shape, or some or all regions12 maybe of differing size/shape to other regions 12. The supportelement 11 includes a plurality of cavities in the form of apertures 14extending entirely through the thickness of the support element 11 whichdefine the regions 12 of the article 10 at which the portions ofamorphous solid material 13 are located. The support element 11comprises a two ply component, having a first layer 11 a and a secondlayer 11 b. The six discrete portions of the amorphous solid material 13are spaced from one another and are sandwiched between the first andsecond layers 11 a, 11 b. The construction of the article 10 can beunderstood in more detail from the exploded view of FIG. 4 . Each of thefirst and second layers 11 a, 11 b includes a plurality of apertures 14a, 14 b extending entirely through the thickness of the layer 11 a, 11 bwhich define the apertures 14 in the support element 11. The portions ofamorphous solid material 13 are larger than the dimensions of theirrespective aperture 14 a, 14 b so that they overlie a region of thefirst and second layer 11 a, 11 b around the perimeter of the respectiveaperture 14 a, 14 b. The first and second layers 11 a, 11 b are bondedtogether to form the two-ply support element 11 and thereby secure theportions of amorphous solid material 13 in place within respectiveaperture 14. The layers na, nb may be bonded by any suitable bondingagent, such as PVA or other adhesive, or may be bonded by non-adhesivemeans, such as welding or any other method of mechanical securing. Anadvantage of the configuration of consumable article 10 comprising aplurality of discrete portions of amorphous solid material 13 beingspaced from each other is that in embodiments in which two or more ofthe portions of amorphous solid material 13 are of a different substanceor composition, for example, comprising a different chemicalcomposition, differing flavorants or other aerosol-generating materials,then the tendency of one portion of amorphous solid material 13 in oneregion being tainted, or otherwise affected by a portion of amorphoussolid material in an adjacent region, is reduced. For example, ifadjacent portions of amorphous solid material were in contact, there maybe a tendency for components of one portion to diffuse into an adjacentportion. In embodiments in which certain regions of the article 10 areselectively activated in use, this may make the composition of theresulting aerosol more difficult to accurately control.

In the example of consumable article 10 shown, the support element 11 ismade from card. The card may be from too to 300 gsm basis weight, andmay advantageously be from 150 to 250 gsm basis weight, and mayadvantageously be from 180 to 210 gsm basis weight, and mayadvantageously be around i95 gsm basis weight. The card may be ofbetween 150 to 550 pm in thickness, and advantageously maybe of between250 to 450 pm in thickness, and advantageously may be between 300 to 400pm in thickness, and advantageously maybe around 350 pm in thickness.

The material of the support element 11 is advantageously heat resistantup to around 300° Celsius, and advantageously is heat resistant up toaround 250° Celsius, and advantageously is heat resistant up to around200° Celsius, and advantageously is heat resistant up to around 150°Celsius, and advantageously is heat resistant up to around 90° Celsius.This can help avoid degradation of the material of the support element11 when exposed to heat during use with a non-combustible aerosolprovision device too (described below).

The material of the support element 11 is advantageously biodegradableto enable or enhance recyclability of the consumable article 10 afteruse. The support element 11 being made of paperboard or cardadvantageously enhances the biodegradability of the article 10.Advantageously, the material of the support element 11 is compliant withEuropean biodegradability standard EN 13430. Advantageously the materialof the support element 11 is compostable and capable of beingaerobically disintegrated through composting and is compliant withEuropean biodegradation standard EN 13432.

Any suitable material may be used for the construction of the supportelement 11, and is not necessarily limited to card, and may insteadcomprise paper, paperboard, cardboard, a plastics material, a ceramicmaterial, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy metal,or any combinations thereof.

The material of the support element 11 is advantageously resistant tooil or grease penetration. This may advantageously help to preventcomponents of the portions of amorphous solid material 13 from leachinginto the material of the support element 11, which could make thearticle 10 less effective in use, if the desired components of theportions of amorphous solid material 13 had been partially dispersed outof the amorphous solid material 13. Such oil or great penetrationresistance maybe provided by the material of the support element 11comprising a laminar construction, in which one layer of the materialcomprises a fluid-impermeable layer. In one embodiment, at least one ofthe first and second layers 11 a, 11 b may comprise a laminarconstruction including a fluid-impermeable layer, and in an embodiment,both of the first and second layers 11 a, 11 b may comprise a laminarconstruction including a fluid-impermeable layer. Advantageously,fluid-impermeable layer(s) are disposed on the side of the respectivefirst and second layer 11 a, 11 b that faces and contacts the portionsof amorphous solid material 13. In an embodiment, the fluid impermeablelayer(s) may comprise plastic or metallic material, such as aluminum. Inan embodiment, the first and second layers 11 a, 11 b may comprisepaperboard or card having a fluid-impermeable layer. The consumablearticle 10 may be between 20 mm to 40 mm wide at its widest part, andpreferably may be around 30 mm wide at its widest part. The consumablearticle 10 may be between 35 mm to 55 mm long, and preferably may bearound 45 mm long. Each of the regions of amorphous solid material maybe a quadrilateral with side edges of between 5 mm to 20 mm in length,and may be square with sides of around 6 mm to 10 mm in length, and maybe square with sides around 8 mm in length. FIGS. 5 and 6 show anon-combustible aerosol provision device 100 (hereafter “device” 100 forbrevity) with which the article 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4 may be used as anon-combustible aerosol provision system. The device 100 comprises ahousing 101 having an inlet 102 and an outlet 103. The inlet 102 isprovided at a first end of the device 100 and the outlet 103 is formedin a mouthpiece 104 at a second end of the device 100 opposite the firstend. The first end of the device includes a slot 105 into which aconsumable article 10 can be inserted to be received and retained withinthe device 100 for use of the device 100. FIG. 6 shows a schematic viewof components within the housing 101 of the device 100. FIG. 6 alsoshows a consumable article 10 received and retained within the device100 in a position for use of the device 100. The device 100 comprises aheater 106 comprising a plurality of heating elements 106 a. Each of theheating elements 106 a is positioned to correspond to a location of arespective region 12 of amorphous solid material 13 of a consumablearticle 10 when a consumable article 10 is received and retained withinthe device too. In use, the device too is configured such that theheater 106 can controllably heat at least one of the plurality ofportions of amorphous solid material 13 to produce an aerosol forinhalation. Each heating element 106 a may directly contact a respectiveportion of amorphous solid material 13, or may be disposed closelyadjacent to but spaced from a respective portion of amorphous solidmaterial 13, in order to heat the respective portion of amorphous solidmaterial 13.

Each of the heating elements 106 a may provide thermal energy to aspecific portion of amorphous solid material 13 to enable aerosolizationof the respective portion of amorphous solid material 13, or to releaseone or more volatiles from the portion of amorphous solid material 13,to form or for entrainment within, an aerosol. During use of the devicetoo, one or more of the heating elements 106 a may be activated so as toproduce aerosol/release volatiles from one or more of the portion ofamorphous solid material 13.

The device too comprises a power source 107 for supplying power to theheater 106.

The device too also comprises a controller 108 connected to the powersource 107 and to the heater 106 which is operable to control operationof the heating elements 106 a.

A user interface 109 is provided on the housing 101 and is connected tothe controller 108. A user is able to input operational commands to thedevice controller 108 to selectively control operation of the devicetoo, via the user interface 109. The user command(s) may be received bythe controller 108 via a wired or wireless interface, such that thedevice 100 may be operated via e.g. Bluetooth® or a LAN or via asmartphone or other such device. The user interface 109 may include oneor more manually operable actuators, for example buttons or regions of atouch-sensitive screen, for manual operation of the device 100, and forthe user to select the desired operation of the device 100.

In an example, the controller 108 is arranged to control the activationof specific heating elements 106 a of the heater 106 so as to produce anaerosol. Selective activation of the heating elements 106 a results inselective heating of portions of amorphous solid material 13 such that apersonalized aerosol is produced. The user may therefore select thecontributory materials to heat to produce an aerosol, thereby providinga personalized aerosol. “Personalized aerosol” is therefore used hereinto mean user-selected or, at least in some way, tailored to the desiresof the user.

An airflow passage 110 extends through the device too from the inlet 102to the outlet 103 and is in fluid communication with the region withinthe housing 101 occupied by the consumable article 10 when theconsumable article 10 is received and retained within the device too.

To use the non-combustible aerosol provision system 1 described herein,a user inserts a consumable article 10 into the slot 105 of the devicetoo until the article 10 is fully received and retained within thedevice too. In the fully inserted position, the portions of amorphoussolid material 13 lie against or closely adjacent to a respectiveheating element 106 a of the heater 106. The user then actuates thedevice too via the user interface 109 to provide operational commands tothe controller 108 to effect activation of specific heating elements 106a of the heater 106. The heating elements 106 a heat one or more of theregions of amorphous solid material 13 of the article 10 to produce anaerosol and to release one or more volatiles from the portion(s) ofamorphous solid material 13 for entrainment within the aerosol. A userinhales on the mouthpiece 104 and ambient air is drawn into the airflowpassage 110 through the inlet 102, through the airflow passage 110 andinto the user's mouth to be inhaled through the outlet 103. The aerosolgenerated from the portion(s) of amorphous solid material 13 isentrained within the airflow to be inhaled by a user. In someembodiments, some or all of the portions amorphous solid material 13 mayinclude one or more perforations 15, as illustrated in an exemplarysecond embodiment of consumable article 10 illustrated in FIG. 7 . Inembodiments of non-combustible aerosol provision systems 1 in which theportions of amorphous solid material 13 are in contact, or closelydisposed adjacent to, the heating elements 106 a, it may be possible forgas and/or vapor to be generated from the surface of the amorphous solidmaterial 13 adjacent the respective heating element 106 a. This maycreate, or enlarge, a gap between the surface of the heating element 106a and the respective portion of amorphous solid material 13. Such a gapmay be detrimental to the efficiency of heating of the amorphous solidmaterial 13 by the respective heating element 106 a. The perforations 15may advantageously help to enable any gas and/or vapor generated betweenthe surface of the heating element 106 a and the adjacent surface of theportion of amorphous solid material 13, to vent through the portion ofamorphous solid material 13 away from the heating element 106 a andthereby prevent the portion of amorphous solid material 13 from beingforced away from the heater element 106 a.

The perforations maybe of any appropriate size and number, and maycomprise a single perforation, advantageously disposed substantiallycentrally on the portion(s) of amorphous solid material 13, or maycomprise a plurality of perforations disposed in an array across theportion(s) of amorphous solid material 13, as illustrated in FIG. 7 .

The amorphous solid material 13 may be perforated by means of adermoabrasion roller or any other suitable means, and may be perforatedduring manufacture of the amorphous solid material or during manufactureof the consumable article 10. In the embodiment of article 10 shown inFIGS. 1 to 4 , the apertures 14 extend all of the way through thesupport element. This may be advantageous for heating efficiency as theheat from the heating elements 106 a passes directly to the amorphoussolid material 13, without other parts of the article 10 beingsignificantly heated or absorbing heat energy. This configuration may beadditionally advantageous since the material of the support element 11is not significantly heated, or less material of the support element 11is heated, in use. The can help reduce or avoid unwanted aerosol, scentor flavor being imparted by the material of the support element, forexample avoiding detectable cardboard scent if the support material ismade of cardboard. However, the scope of the invention is not intendedto be limited to this configuration of article 10 in which apertures 14extend entirely through the support element 11. An alternativeconfiguration of consumable article 10 of a third embodiment isillustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 . The article 10 ofFIG. 8 appears similar in front view to that of the first embodimentshown in FIG. 2 , and includes six regions 12 of substantially uniformsize and shape, arranged in two rows of three (although as mentionedwith reference to the embodiment of article in FIGS. 1 to 4 , anyarrangement/number/size of regions maybe provided within the scope ofthe invention).

A difference with the article 10 of FIG. 8 is that the support element11 is a one ply component, comprising a single layer 11 c. The sixregions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 are provided within cavitiesin the form of recesses 14 c which are formed in the thickness of thesingle layer 11 c. The recesses 14 c extend partially but not entirelythrough the thickness of the single layer 11 c. The recesses 14 c may beformed by any suitable method, for example by laser or mechanicalcutting, milling, reaming, or by compressing selected areas of the layer11 c that are to be the regions 12 of amorphous solid material. Theamorphous solid material maybe provided in the recesses 14 c by a sheetof solid material being cut to appropriately sized sections and thesections placed within the recesses 14 c, or maybe provided in therecesses 14 c in liquid form, for example by being pipetted into therecesses 14 c, and subsequently solidified within the recesses 14 c. Thesolidifying step may comprise applying a setting agent to the liquidmaterial within the recesses 14 c.

Use of the article 10 of the third embodiment in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system 1 would be the same as that described abovewith reference to the first embodiment of consumable article 10. Theheating elements 106 a heat the selected areas of the single layer 11 ccorresponding to the recesses 14 c, and the heat transferred through thematerial of the single layer 11 c to the respective regions of amorphoussolid material 13. Although the heating elements 106 a have to transferheat through the material of the single layer 11 c instead of directlyheating the amorphous solid material 13, the single layer 11 c isthinner in the regions of the recesses 14 c, and so there is lessresistance to the transfer of heat through the thickness of the singlelayer 11 c than would be the case if heat had to transfer through theentire thickness of the single layer 11 c. Accordingly, the recesses 14c of the third embodiment of consumable article 10 help avoid reducedefficiency of heat transfer to the amorphous solid material. Aconsumable article 10 of a fourth embodiment is shown in schematiccross-section in FIG. 9 , and appears similar in front view to that ofthe first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and includes six regions 12 ofsubstantially uniform size and shape, arranged in two rows of three(although as mentioned with reference to the embodiment of article inFIGS. 1 to 4 , any arrangement/number/size of regions may be providedwithin the scope of the invention).

The support element 11 of the article 10 of FIG. 9 comprises a two plycomponent, comprising a first layer 11 a and a second layer nd. Thefirst layer 11 a includes a plurality of apertures 14 a extendingentirely through the thickness of the first layer 11 a.

A difference with the consumable article 10 of the fourth embodiment isthat the second layer nd does not include apertures extending throughits thickness. Instead, the second layer nd comprises a carrier orsubstrate upon which discrete regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13are formed. The first and second layers 11 a, nd are bonded together toform the two-ply support element 11 and the portions of amorphous solidmaterial 13 are located within a respective aperture 14 a in the firstlayer 11 a. The layers 11 a, nd may be bonded by any suitable bondingagent, such as PVA or other adhesive, or may be bonded by non-adhesivemeans, such as welding or other method of mechanical securing.

The amorphous solid material 13 may be provided on the substrate secondlayer nd before the first and second layers 11 a, nd are bondedtogether. In such an embodiment, the amorphous solid material 13 may besandwiched between the substrate second layer nd and the first layer 11a. Alternatively, the amorphous solid material 13 may be provided withinthe apertures 14 a after the first and second layers 11 a, nd are bondedtogether. In the latter case, the amorphous solid material 13 may beprovided by a sheet of solid material being cut to appropriately sizedsections and the sections placed within the apertures 14 a, or maybeprovided in the apertures 14 a in liquid form and subsequentlysolidified within the apertures 14 a. The solidifying step may compriseapplying a setting agent to the liquid material within the apertures 14a.

Use of the article 10 of the fourth embodiment in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system 1 would be the same as that described abovewith reference to the first embodiment of consumable article 10. Theheating elements 106 a heat the selected areas of the second substratelayer nd corresponding to the regions 12 of solid amorphous material 13,and the heat transferred through the material of the second substratelayer nd to the respective regions of amorphous solid material 13.Although the heating elements 106 a have to transfer heat through thematerial of the second substrate layer nd instead of directly heatingthe amorphous solid material 13, second layer nd is thinner than thetotal thickness of the support element 11 and so there is lessresistance to the transfer of heat through the thickness of the singlesecond layer nd than would be the case if heat had to transfer throughthe entire thickness of the support element. The second substrate layernd may also be formed of a material having good thermal conductivity,for example, a metal, in order to increase heating efficiency and heattransfer from the heating elements 106 a to the amorphous solid material13. In some embodiments, the second, substrate or carrier layer nd maycomprise metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

A consumable article 10 of a fifth embodiment is shown in schematiccross-section in FIG. 10 , and appears similar in front view to that ofthe first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and includes six regions 12 ofsubstantially uniform size and shape, arranged in two rows of three(although as mentioned with reference to the embodiment of article inFIGS. 1 to 4 , any arrangement/number/size of regions maybe providedwithin the scope of the invention). The consumable article 10 of thefifth embodiment is similar to that of the fourth embodiment, andcomprises a support 11 having a first layer 11 a having a plurality ofapertures 14 a extending entirely through the thickness of the firstlayer 11 a, and a second layer lid comprising a carrier or substrateupon which discrete regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 areformed. However, the article 10 of the fifth embodiment further includesa third support layer lie, which has a plurality of apertures 14 eextending entirely through the thickness of the third layer lie. Assuch, the third layer lie of the fifth embodiment is similar inconfiguration to the second layer 11 b of the first embodiment describedabove. The first, second and third layers 11 a, nd, lie are bondedtogether to form the support element 11 and the portions of amorphoussolid material 13 are located within a respective aperture 14 a in thefirst layer 11 a. The layers 11 a, nd, lie may be bonded by any suitablebonding agent, such as PVA or other adhesive, or may be bonded bynon-adhesive means, such as welding or other method of mechanicalsecuring. As with the article io of the fourth embodiment, the amorphoussolid material 13 may be provided on the substrate second layer ndbefore the first, second and third layers 11 a, nd, lie are bondedtogether. In such an embodiment, the amorphous solid material 13 may besandwiched between the substrate second layer nd and the first layer 11a. Alternatively, the amorphous solid material 13 may be provided withinthe apertures 14 a after the first, second and third layers 11 a, nd,lie are bonded together, in the same manner as described previously.

Use of the article 10 of the fifth embodiment in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system 1 would be the same as that described abovewith reference to the fourth embodiment of consumable article 10. As thethird layer lie comprises apertures 14 e in the regions 12 of the solidamorphous material 13, the heat from the heating elements 106 a heatsthe selected areas of the second substrate layer nd corresponding to theregions 12 of solid amorphous material 13, just as with the article 10of the fourth embodiment. The heat is transferred through the materialof the second substrate layer nd to the respective regions of amorphoussolid material 13. Again, advantageously, the second layer nd maybethinner than the total thickness of the support element 11 and so thereis less resistance to the transfer of heat through the thickness of thesingle second layer nd than would be the case if heat had to transferthrough the entire thickness of the support element 11. The secondsubstrate layer nd may also be formed of a material having good thermalconductivity, for example, a metal, in order to increase heatingefficiency and heat transfer from the heating elements 106 a to theamorphous solid material 13. In some embodiments, the second, substrateor carrier layer lid may comprise metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

A consumable article 10 of a sixth embodiment is shown in schematiccross-section in FIG. 11 , and appears similar in front view to that ofthe first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and includes six regions 12 ofsubstantially uniform size and shape, arranged in two rows of three(although as mentioned with reference to the embodiment of article inFIGS. 1 to 4 , any arrangement/number/size of regions may be providedwithin the scope of the invention).

The consumable article 10 of the sixth embodiment is similar to that ofthe fourth embodiment, and comprises a support 11 having a first layer11 a having a plurality of apertures 14 a extending entirely through thethickness of the first layer 11 a, and a second layer lid comprising acarrier or substrate upon which discrete regions 12 of amorphous solidmaterial 13 are formed. However, a difference with the article 10 of thesixth embodiment is that the substrate layer nd comprises a multi-plymaterial, including a primary substrate layer lid′ and a secondarysubstrate layer nd″. The first and second layers 11 a, nd are bondedtogether as described above to form the support element 11 and theportions of amorphous solid material 13 are located within a respectiveaperture 14 a in the first layer 11 a. The amorphous solid material 13is disposed on the primary substrate layer lid′. The substrate layer ndmay comprise a two-layer material such as foil-backed card, and theprimary substrate layer lid′ may comprise a metallic foil layer, such asan aluminum layer, and the secondary substrate layer nd″ may comprise alayer of other material, such as card or paperboard. This may provideincreased structural strength to the article 10.

Use of the article 10 of the sixth embodiment in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system 1 would be the same as that described abovewith reference to the fourth embodiment of consumable article 10. Heatfrom the heating elements 106 a heats the selected areas of the secondsubstrate layer nd corresponding to the regions 12 of solid amorphousmaterial 13, just as with the article 10 of the fourth embodiment. Theheat is transferred through the material of the second substrate layernd to the respective regions of amorphous solid material 13. Again,advantageously, the second layer nd maybe thinner than the totalthickness of the support element 11 overall and so there is lessresistance to the transfer of heat through the thickness of the singlesecond layer nd than would be the case if heat had to transfer throughthe entire thickness of the support element 11. In embodiments in whichthe second substrate layer nd includes a layer formed of a materialhaving good thermal conductivity, for example, a metal, heatingefficiency and heat transfer from the heating elements 106 a to theamorphous solid material 13 may be increased. Also, in a system whichmay employ inductive heating (described in more detail below), theprimary substrate layer lid′ may be formed of a material suitable as asusceptor such that the regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 may bedirectly heating by inductively heating the respective regions 12 of theprimary substrate layer lid′. However, in a variant of the sixthembodiment, the secondary substrate layer nd″ may comprise a metalliclayer, and the primary substrate layer lid′ may comprise anothermaterial, for example, card or paperboard.

The consumable articles 10 of the second to sixth embodiments comprisesa plurality of discrete portions of amorphous solid material 13 spacedfrom each other, with the advantages described above with respect to thearticle 10 of the first embodiment. A consumable article 10 of a seventhembodiment is shown in exploded perspective view in FIG. 12 , andappears similar in front view to that of the first embodiment shown inFIG. 2 , and includes six regions 12 of substantially uniform size andshape, arranged in two rows of three (although as mentioned withreference to the embodiment of article in FIGS. 1 to 4 , anyarrangement/number/size of regions may be provided within the scope ofthe invention).

The support element 11 of the article 10 of FIG. 11 is similar to thearticle 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , and likefeatures retain the same reference numerals. A difference with theconsumable article 10 of the seventh embodiment is that the amorphoussolid material 13 is provided as a single sheet that is sandwichedbetween the first and second layers 11 a, 11 b. This may enable asimpler and more cost-effective method of article manufacture as onlyone single portion of amorphous solid material is required perconsumable article 10. The single sheet of amorphous solid material 13may be of a uniform composition, or may comprise different compositionsin different regions of the sheet such that different composition ofaerosol may be produced by selective activation of the respectiveheating elements 106 a.

The sheet of amorphous solid material 13 may optionally include an arrayof dividing holes 16 demarcating discrete regions 12 of the amorphoussolid material. Such dividing holes are illustrated in FIG. 11 . Thesedividing holes may serve to reduce heat transfer by conduction throughthe amorphous solid material 13 from one region 12 to an adjacentregion. This may be advantageous, for example, when one region 12 of theamorphous solid material 13 is selectively heating by one heatingelement 106 a, but an adjacent region 12 of the amorphous solid material13 is not intended to be heated. This may be beneficial to accuratelycontrol the composition of the personalized aerosol being produced bythe device 100 by avoiding aerosol or volatile generation from regions12 not intended to be activated.

The dividing holes 16 may additionally, or alternatively, help reduceunwanted transfer of components of one region 12 of the amorphous solidmaterial 13 into adjacent regions 12 of the amorphous solid material 13,in an embodiment where different regions 12 of the amorphous solidmaterial 13 comprise different compositions. The different compositionsmay tend to diffuse to adjacent regions 12 due to a concentrationgradient within the amorphous solid material 13, and the dividing holes16 may prevent or at least reduce the ability for such diffusion tooccur.

Use of the article 10 of the seventh embodiment in a non-combustibleaerosol provision system 1 would be the same as that described abovewith reference to the first embodiment of consumable article 10 and sowill not be repeated. It is intended within the scope of the inventionthat embodiments of consumable article

10 are provided which may comprise some discrete separate regions ofamorphous solid material of a uniform composition, and at least oneregion of amorphous solid material which comprises differentcompositions in different areas of the same body of amorphous solidmaterial. Such regions maybe of similar or different size, shape andarea.

The embodiments of consumable article 10 shown and described comprise anenlarged end region 17 at one end of the support element 11. Theenlarged end region 17 is shown wider than the remaining portion of thesupport element 11. Such enlarged end region 17 may facilitate handlingby a consumer, by providing a grip region of greater area to makeinsertion into, and removal from, a device too easier, particularly forusers with limited dexterity. The enlarged end region 17 may also serveto ensure the correct fully-inserted position of the article 10 withinthe device too. For example, the article 10 may be configured such thatthe correct fully-inserted position is reached when the enlarged endregion 17 contacts the edges of the slot 105 or other portion of thehousing 101 and cannot be inserted any further into the device too.

A method of manufacturing the consumable article 10 of the firstembodiment may be understood with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 13. The method comprises providing first and second layers 11 a, 11 b ofsheet material with apertures 14 a, 14 b respectively in each layer 11a, 11 b of sheet material (Si), providing discrete portions of amorphoussolid material, at least one of which comprises an aerosol generatingmaterial (S2), locating the discrete portions of amorphous solidmaterial over the apertures I4 a/i4 b on one of the layers of sheetmaterial na/iib (S3), and bonding the two layers 11 a, 11 b of sheetmaterial together to sandwich the discrete portions of amorphous solidmaterial between the two layers of sheet material 11 a, 11 b (S4). Thestep S4 of bonding the two layers 11 a, 11 b together may includeproviding PVA adhesive to at least one of the layers 11 a, 11 b, whichmay be my means of a roller or other suitable adhesive applicator. Thestep Si of providing first and second layers 11 a, 11 b of sheetmaterial with apertures 14 a, 14 b may comprise laser cutting the firstand second layers from a blank of sheet material, or stamp or presscutting.

The consumable article 10 of the various embodiments described hereinmay optionally comprise an identifying element 18 (see FIG. 1 ). Suchidentifying element may comprise, for example, a bar code, QR code, RFIDtag or other optically, electrically or wirelessly detectable and/orreadable identifying element.

The device 100 may include a sensor 111 configured to detect, read orotherwise interact with the identifying element 18. Such sensor 111 isconnected to the controller 108. In use, the identifying element 18 mayinclude information about the article 10 and the composition of theamorphous solid material 13, including the aerosol generating materialit comprises.

In the non-combustible aerosol provision system 1, different consumablearticles 10 may be provided that include different compositions ofamorphous solid material 13, for example, different ingredients,flavorants, volatiles, and aerosol generating compounds. It will beappreciated that in this case, applying the same heating patterns todifferent consumable articles 10 may result in different aerosols mixesbeing generated, not all of which may be desirable, and so optionallythe composition of the current consumable article 10 should be notifiedto the controller 108 which controls heating so that an appropriate mixcan be generated.

Hence in an embodiment of the present invention, the composition ofportions of a given consumable article 10 can be obtained via theidentifying element 18 and sensor 111. Once identified, the compositionof the portions on the consumable article 10 can be obtained from eitherlocal or remote storage, together with any other configurationinformation regarding for example preset mixes, vaporizationtemperatures for different portion materials, and/or any limits orcorrelations between portions (for example to avoid undesirable mixes),and the like. The embodiments of consumable articles 10 illustrated anddescribed herein comprise flat planar elements. This may be advantageousfor simplicity and therefore ease and cost of manufacture, and alsospace efficiency of packaging. However, the invention is not intended tobe limited to such configuration. For example, the article 10 maybe “V”or “U” shaped in cross-section, or any other appropriate configuration,and the slot 105 in the device correspondingly shaped to receive thearticle 10. In such alternative embodiments, it will be appreciated thatthe heater 106 within the device 100 may advantageously be appropriatelyconfigured to align with the regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13of the associated consumable article 10.

As used herein, the term “cavity” is intended to encompass an aperturewhich extends entirely through the thickness of an element, and also arecess comprising a cut-out, depression or other formation extendingpartially through the thickness of an element. In the embodiments ofarticle 10 described herein, the aerosol generating material isdescribed as being within the at least one cavity. This is intended toinclude the aerosol generating material being off-set with respect to athickness or plane of the support element or portion thereof but alignedwith the at least one cavity so as to be accessible therethrough, andalso the aerosol generating material being disposed within the cavitywithin the thickness or plane of the support element or portion thereof.

The heater 106 in the described examples maybe an electrically resistiveheater 106. However, in other examples, the heater 106 may be achemically activated heater which may or may not operate via exothermicreactions or the like. The heater 106 may be part of an inductiveheating system, wherein the heater 106 is the source of energy forinductive heating, such as a coil of copper wire, and the supportelement 11, including one or more of the layers 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 dthereof, or other component within the device too may be or may containa susceptor or the like. The susceptor may for example be a metallicsheet, for example a sheet of aluminum foil or the like. In an example,the heating elements 106 a are not all the same type of heating element.In an example, at least one heating element 106 a of the heater 106 isan electrically resistive heater, another heating element 106 isoptionally a chemically activated heater and another heating element 106a is optionally an inductive heater. The heater may comprise one or moreelectrically resistive heaters, including for example one or more nichrome resistive heater(s) and/or one or more ceramic heater(s). Theheater may comprise one or more induction heaters which includes anarrangement comprising one or more susceptors which may form a chamberinto which an article comprising aerosolizable material is inserted orotherwise located in use. Alternatively or in addition, one or moresusceptors may be provided in the aerosolizable material. Other heatingarrangements may also be used.

The power source 107 may be, for example, a battery, such as arechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitablebatteries include, for example, a lithium battery (such as a lithium-ionbattery), a nickel battery (such as a nickel-cadmium battery), and analkaline battery. The battery is electrically coupled to the heater 106to supply electrical power when required and under control of thecontroller 108.

In an example, a plurality of regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13,and a plurality of heating elements 106 a, may be different in number.For example, one heating element 106 a may heat two regions 12 ofamorphous solid material 13 if it is desired for these to always beheated together. Conversely, two heating elements 106 a may be used forrespective regions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 in one instance,but may be used in concert to heat a larger region 12 of amorphous solidmaterial 13 (for example for a major component of the aerosol, or onethat is consumed more frequently) in another instance. Alternatively orin addition, the support element may be physically moveable with respectto the heater 106 to newly position one or more different regions 12 ofamorphous solid material 13 over a respective heater element 106 a,thereby enabling a new mixing palette. In an example, the plurality ofregions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 may be a sample or reservoirof aerosolizable substance, which may include nicotine andnicotine-containing substances.

In use, heating elements 106 a may be activated at the same time ormaybe operated with a delay between operation. This may be used toenable particular notes of an aerosol to be more or less prevalent inthe overall aerosol or smoking session. In an example, a particularheating element 106 a may heat a particular region 12 of amorphous solidmaterial 13 e.g. a tobacco portion, at a first time to produce a tobaccoaerosol for inhalation. This may be shortly followed by a differentheating element 106 a heating a menthol region 12 of amorphous solidmaterial 13 at a second time to follow the tobacco aerosol with amenthol aerosol with which the user desires to conclude the smokingsession. Varying heating profiles may be supplied to a plurality ofregions 12 of amorphous solid material 13 to provide a personalizedaerosol. Complex combinations of profiles may be utilized to produce ahighly specific combination of blends and release time so that theaerosol is highly personalizable.

In an example, a first heating element 106 a heats a first region 12 ofamorphous solid material 13 for a first amount of time and a secondheating element 106 a heats a second region 12 of amorphous solidmaterial 13 for a second amount of time, wherein the first amount oftime and the second amount of time are different. This enables greaterpersonalization of aerosol. This also enables production of aerosol withdifferent notes during the smoking session.

In an example, a first heating element 106 a heats a first region 12 ofamorphous solid material 13 at a first power level and a second heatingelement 106 a heats a second region 12 of amorphous solid material 13 ata second power level, wherein the first power level and the second powerlevel are different power levels. This further enables greaterpersonalization of a produced aerosol. As the aerosol released mayberelated to the power at which the heater 106 a operates, flavors can bereleased at different times in the session which, as above, leads to alevel of control over the production of different notes within thesmoking session.

In examples, the amorphous solid material 13 has a thickness of imm. Inalternative embodiments the amorphous solid sheet material may have athickness of between 0.2 mm to 2 mm, or between 0.4 mm to 1.8 mm, orbetween 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. However, the amorphous solid material may haveany suitable thickness as described herein.

In embodiment in which the support element comprises aluminum foil, thealuminum foil may comprise a layer having a thickness of about 6 pm.However, in alternative arrangements, the aluminum foil can be otherthicknesses, for instance between 4 pm and 16 pm in thickness.

The amorphous solid material 13 may comprise an aerosol generatingmaterial comprising an aerosolizable material, also called an aerosolforming material. The aerosolizable material may be present on or in asupport or carrier, to form a substrate. The support may, for example,be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstitutedmaterial, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material,glass, a metal, such as aluminum, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments,the support or carrier comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, thesusceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternativeembodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

An aerosol modifying agent is a substance that is able to modify aerosolin use. The agent may modify aerosol in such a way as to create aphysiological or sensory effect on the human body. Example aerosolmodifying agents are flavorants and sensates. A sensate creates anorganoleptic sensation that can be perceived through the senses, such asa cool or sour sensation.

An aerosol forming material may promote the generation of an aerosol bypromoting an initial vaporization and/or the condensation of a gas to aninhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol. In some embodiments, an aerosolforming material may improve the delivery of flavor from the aerosolgenerating material. In general, any suitable aerosol forming materialor agents may be included in the aerosol generating material of theinvention, including those described herein. Other suitable aerosolforming materials include, but are not limited to: a polyol such assorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or triethyleneglycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, high boiling pointhydrocarbons, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esterssuch as diacetin, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethylcitrate or myristates including ethyl myristate and isopropyl myristateand aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as methyl stearate, dimethyldodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. In some embodiments, theaerosol forming material may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixtureof glycerol and propylene glycol. Glycerol may be present in an amountof from 10 to 20% by weight of the composition, for example 13 to 16% byweight of the composition, or about 14% or 15% by weight of thecomposition. Propylene glycol, if present, maybe present in an amount offrom 0.1 to 0.3% by weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material comprises one or morepolyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol,1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such asglycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyltetradecanedioate. Embodiments of consumable articles 10 describedherein are intended for use with a non-combustible aerosol provisionsystem, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.Embodiments of a non-combustible aerosol provision system describedherein comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and anarticle for use with such a device.

Aerosolizable material, which also may be referred to herein as aerosolgenerating material, is material that is capable of generating aerosol,for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Theaerosolizable material may or may not contain nicotine and/orflavorants.

Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid,liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/orflavorants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material maycomprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to asa “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, theamorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solidmaterial that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In someembodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprisefrom about 50 wt %, 6owt % or 70 wt % of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt % or ioowt % of amorphous solid.

The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituentscapable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-formermaterial may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propyleneglycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol,1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyllaurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetinmixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, laurylacetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material or the amorphous solidcomprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol,triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydricalcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphaticesters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyldodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. The one or more otherfunctional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, coloringagents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/orantioxidants.

In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol provision device includesa heater capable of interacting with the aerosol generating material isable material so as to release one or more volatiles from theaerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, theaerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol fromthe aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosolgenerating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from theaerosolizable material without applying heat thereto, for example viaone or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurization or electrostaticmeans. In one embodiment, the aerosolizable material may comprise anactive material, an aerosol forming material and optionally one or morefunctional materials. The active material may comprise nicotine(optionally contained in tobacco or a tobacco derivative) or one or moreother non-olfactory physiologically active materials. A non-olfactoryphysiologically active material is a material which is included in theaerosolizable material in order to achieve a physiological responseother than olfactory perception.

In some cases, the amorphous solid sheet material may have a mass perunit area of 30-120 g/m². In some embodiments, the amorphous solid sheetmaterial may have an area density of from about 30 to 70 g/m², or about40 to 60 g/m². In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may have an areadensity of from about 80 to 120 g/m², or from about 70 to 110 g/m², orparticularly from about 90 to 110 g/m².

In some examples, the amorphous solid in sheet form may have a tensilestrength of from around 200 N/m to around 900 N/m. In some examples,such as where the amorphous solid does not comprise a filler, theamorphous solid may have a tensile strength of from 200 N/m to 400 N/m,or 200 N/m to 300 N/m, or about 250 N/m.

In some examples, such as where the amorphous solid comprises a filler,the amorphous solid may have a tensile strength of from 600 N/m to 900N/m, or from 700 N/m to 900 N/m, or around 800 N/m. The support elementmay be any suitable material which can be used to support an amorphoussolid. In some cases, the support element may be formed from materialsselected from metal, for example metal foil, paper, carbon paper,greaseproof paper, ceramic, carbon allotropes such as graphite andgraphene, plastic, cardboard, wood or combinations thereof. In somecases, the support element maybe a laminate structure comprising layersof materials selected from the preceding lists. In some cases, thesupport element may also function as a flavor carrier, for example, thesupport element may be impregnated with a flavorant or with tobaccoextract.

In one case, the surface of the support element that abuts the amorphoussolid may be porous. For example, in some cases, the support elementcomprises paper. A porous support element maybe particularly suitable inmaking a strong bond with the amorphous solid material. The amorphoussolid maybe formed by drying a gel and, without being limited by theory,it is thought that the slurry from which the gel is formed may partiallyimpregnate the porous support element so that when the gel sets andforms cross-links, the support element is partially bound into the gel.In alternative embodiments however, the support element may comprise anon-porous material as described above.

Additionally, surface roughness may contribute to the strength of bondbetween layers of the support element and/or the amorphous solidmaterial. Paper roughness may suitably be in the range of 50-1000 Bekkseconds, suitably 50-150 Bekk seconds, suitably 100 Bekk seconds(measured over an air pressure interval of 50.66-48.00 kPa). (A Bekksmoothness tester is an instrument used to determine the smoothness of apaper surface, in which air at a specified pressure is leaked between asmooth glass surface and a paper sample, and the time (in seconds) for afixed volume of air to seep between these surfaces is the “Bekksmoothness”.) In one particular case, the support element may comprise apaper-backed foil; the paper layer may abut the amorphous solid and theproperties discussed in the previous paragraphs are afforded by thisabutment. Alternatively, the foil layer may abut the amorphous solid.The foil backing is substantially impermeable, and may also serve toconduct heat to the amorphous solid. The foil may also prevent waterprovided in the amorphous solid to be absorbed into the paper whichcould weaken its structural integrity. In another case, a paper andgreaseproof paper laminate has also been found to be particularly usefulfor the present invention. The paper layer abuts the amorphous solid andthe tacky amorphous solid does not stick readily to the greaseproofpaper carrier backing.

In some cases, one or more of the surfaces of the support element, otherthan the surface other than the layer attached to the first surface ofthe amorphous solid, maybe treated to prevent adhesion of the tackyamorphous solid once the amorphous solid has set and dried. For example,the surfaces may be treated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and/orother non-stick materials.

In some cases, the amorphous solid may have a thickness of about 0.005mm to about 1.0 mm Suitably, the thickness may be in the range of about0.05 mm to about 0.2 mm, and may be around 0.09 mm. In some embodiments,the thickness may be around

0.06 mm to around 0.09 mm, and may be around 0.077 mm. In someembodiments, the thickness may be in the range of around 0.05 mm, 0.1 mmor 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm. The inventors have found that amaterial having a thickness of 0.2 mm is particularly suitable. Theamorphous solid may comprise more than one layer, and the thicknessdescribed herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers.

The thickness stipulated herein is a mean thickness for the material. Insome cases, the amorphous solid thickness may vary by no more than 25%,20%, 15%, 10%, 5% or 1%. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprisei-6owt % of a gelling agent wherein these weights are calculated on adry weight basis.

Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about iwt %, 5 wt %,iowt %, I5 wt %, 20 wt % or 25 wt % to about 6owt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt %,40 wt %, 35 wt %, 30 wt % or 27 wt % of a gelling agent (all calculatedon a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprisei-50 wt %, 5-40 wt %, io-30 wt % or i5-27 wt % of a gelling agent.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In someembodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selectedfrom the group comprising alginates, pectins, starches (andderivatives), celluloses (and derivatives), gums, silica or siliconescompounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol and combinations thereof. Forexample, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more ofalginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan,agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin andpolyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginateand/or pectin, and may be combined with a setting agent (such as acalcium source) during formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases,the amorphous solid may comprise a calcium-crosslinked alginate and/or acalcium-crosslinked pectin. In some embodiments, the gelling agentcomprises alginate, and the alginate is present in the amorphous solidin an amount of from io-30 wt % of the amorphous solid (calculated on adry weight basis). In some embodiments, alginate is the only gellingagent present in the amorphous solid. In other embodiments, the gellingagent comprises alginate and at least one further gelling agent, such aspectin. The gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selectedfrom cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum,acacia gum and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the cellulosicgelling agent is selected from the group consisting of: hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC),methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), celluloseacetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) andcombinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more ofhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or morenon-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar,xanthan gum, gum Arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan,starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments,the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar. In someembodiments the amorphous solid may include gelling agent comprisingcarrageenan. The aerosol-generating material or the amorphous solid maycomprise an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of theseembodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monoprotic acid, adiprotic acid and a triprotic acid. In some such embodiments, the acidmay contain at least one carboxyl functional group. In some suchembodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid,carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylic acid and keto acid. Insome such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid,lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid,levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid,benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic acid.

Suitably the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid isbenzoic acid. In other embodiments the acid may be an inorganic acid. Insome of these embodiments the acid may be a mineral acid. In some suchembodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulphuric acid,hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments,the acid is levulinic acid.

In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material or the amorphoussolid comprises a gelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agentand/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active substance and an acid.

Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 5 wt %, iowt %, I5wt %, or 20 wt % to about 8owt %, 70 wt %, 6owt %, 55 wt %, 50 wt %, 45wt % 40 wt %, or 35 wt % of an aerosol generating agent (all calculatedon a dry weight basis). The aerosol generating agent may act as aplasticizer. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-6owt %,io-50 wt % or 20-40 wt % of an aerosol generating agent. In some cases,the aerosol generating agent comprises one or more compound selectedfrom erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol andxylitol. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent comprises, consistsessentially of or consists of glycerol. The inventors have establishedthat if the content of the plasticizer is too high, the amorphous solidmay absorb water resulting in a material that does not create anappropriate consumption experience in use. The inventors haveestablished that if the plasticizer content is too low, the amorphoussolid may be brittle and easily broken. The plasticizer contentspecified herein provides an amorphous solid flexibility which allowsthe amorphous solid sheet to be wound onto a bobbin, which is useful inmanufacture of aerosol generating articles.

In some cases, the amorphous solid additionally comprises an activesubstance. For example, in some cases, the amorphous solid additionallycomprises a tobacco material and/or nicotine. For example, the amorphoussolid may additionally comprise powdered tobacco and/or nicotine and/ora tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise fromabout iwt %, 5 wt %, iowt %, I5 wt %, 20 wt % or 25 wt % to about 70 wt%, 50 wt %, 45 wt % or 40 wt % (calculated on a dry weight basis) ofactive substance. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise fromabout iwt %, 5 wt %, iowt %, I5 wt %, 20 wt % or 25 wt % to about 70 wt%, 6owt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt % or 40 wt % (calculated on a dry weightbasis) of a tobacco material and/or nicotine.

In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises an active substance such astobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-6owt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco extract. In some cases,the amorphous solid may comprise from about 5 wt %, iowt %, I5 wt %, 20wt % or 25 wt % to about 55 wt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt % or 40 wt %(calculated on a dry weight basis) tobacco extract. For example, theamorphous solid may comprise 5-6owt %, io-55 wt % or 25-55 wt % oftobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine at aconcentration such that the amorphous solid comprises iwt % i.5 wt %, 2wt % or 2.5 wt % to about 6 wt %, 5 wt %, 4-5 wt % or 4 wt % (calculatedon a dry weight basis) of nicotine. In some cases, there may be nonicotine in the amorphous solid other than that which results from thetobacco extract. In some embodiments the amorphous solid comprises notobacco material but does comprise nicotine. In some such cases, theamorphous solid may comprise from about iwt %, 2 wt %, 3 wt % or 4 wt %to about 20 wt %, i5 wt %, iowt % or 5 wt % (calculated on a dry weightbasis) of nicotine. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-20wt % or 2-5 wt % of nicotine.

In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise a flavor. Suitably, theamorphous solid may comprise up to about 6owt %, 50 wt %, 40 wt %, 30 wt%, 20 wt %, iowt % or 5 wt % of a flavor. In some cases, the amorphoussolid may comprise at least about 0-5 wt %, iwt %, 2 wt %, 5 wt % iowt%, 20 wt % or 30 wt % of a flavor (all calculated on a dry weightbasis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise o.i-6owt %, 1-6owt%, 5-6owt %, io-6owt %, 20-50 wt % or 30-40 wt % of a flavor. In somecases, the flavor (if present) comprises, consists essentially of orconsists of menthol. In some cases, the amorphous solid does notcomprise a flavor.

In some cases, the total content of active substance and flavor may beat least about o.iwt %, iwt %, 5 wt %, iowt %, 20 wt %, 25 wt % or 30 wt%. In some cases, the total content of active substance and flavor maybe less than about 8owt %, 70 wt %, 6owt %, 50 wt % or 40 wt % (allcalculated on a dry weight basis).

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise a colorant. Theaddition of a colorant may alter the visual appearance of the amorphoussolid. The presence of colorant in the amorphous solid may enhance thevisual appearance of the amorphous solid and the aerosol-generatingmaterial. By adding a colorant to the amorphous solid, the amorphoussolid may be color-matched to other components of the aerosol generatingmaterial or to other components of an article comprising the amorphoussolid.

A variety of colorants may be used depending on the desired color of theamorphous solid. The color of amorphous solid may be, for example,white, green, red, purple, blue, brown or black. Other colors are alsoenvisaged. Natural or synthetic colorants, such as natural or syntheticdyes, food-grade colorants and pharmaceutical-grade colorants may beused. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel, which may conferthe amorphous solid with a brown appearance. In such embodiments, thecolor of the amorphous solid maybe similar to the color of othercomponents (such as tobacco material) in an aerosol-generating materialcomprising the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the addition of acolorant to the amorphous solid renders it visually indistinguishablefrom other components in the aerosol-generating material.

The colorant maybe incorporated during the formation of the amorphoussolid (e.g. when forming a slurry comprising the materials that form theamorphous solid) or it may be applied to the amorphous solid after itsformation (e.g. by spraying it onto the amorphous solid).

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid is a hydrogel and comprisesless than about 20 wt % of water calculated on a wet weight basis. Insome cases, the hydrogel may comprise less than about i5 wt %, i2 wt %or 10 wt % of water calculated on a wet weight basis (WWB). In somecases, the hydrogel may comprise at least about iwt %, 2 wt % or atleast about 5 wt % of water (WWB). The amorphous solid comprises fromabout iwt % to about i5 wt % water, or from about 5 wt % to about i5 wt% calculated on a wet weight basis. Suitably, the water content of theamorphous solid maybe from about 5 wt %, 7 wt % or 9 wt % to about I5 wt%, I3 wt % or iiwt % (WWB), most suitably about iowt %.

The amorphous solid may be made from a gel, and this gel mayadditionally comprise a solvent, included at o.i-50 wt %. However, theinventors have established that the inclusion of a solvent in which theflavor is soluble may reduce the gel stability and the flavor maycrystallize out of the gel. As such, in some cases, the gel does notinclude a solvent in which the flavor is soluble.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises less than 6owt % of afiller, such as from iwt % to 6owt %, or 5 wt % to 50 wt %, or 5 wt % to30 wt %, or iowt % to 20 wt %. In other embodiments, the amorphous solidcomprises less than 20 wt %, suitably less than iowt % or less than 5 wt% of a filler. In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises less thaniwt % of a filler, and in some cases, comprises no filler.

The filler, if present, may comprise one or more inorganic fillermaterials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceousearth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesiumcarbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents, such as molecular sieves.The filler may comprise one or more organic filler materials such aswood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives. In some cases, theamorphous solid comprises less than iwt % of a filler, and in somecases, comprises no filler. In particular, in some cases, the amorphoussolid comprises no calcium carbonate such as chalk. In some cases, theamorphous solid may consist essentially of, or consist of a gellingagent, an aerosol generating agent, water, and optionally a flavorand/or an active substance (such as tobacco material and/or a nicotinesource).

A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varyingmagnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor maybe an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof witha varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heatingmaterial. The heating material may be magnetic material, so thatpenetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetichysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor maybe bothelectrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatableby both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generatethe varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator,herein.

Induction heating is a process in which an electrically-conductiveobject is heated by penetrating the object with a varying magneticfield. The process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm'slaw. An induction heater may comprise an electromagnet and a device forpassing a varying electrical current, such as an alternating current,through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to beheated are suitably relatively positioned so that the resultant varyingmagnetic field produced by the electromagnet penetrates the object, oneor more eddy currents are generated inside the object. The object has aresistance to the flow of electrical currents. Therefore, when such eddycurrents are generated in the object, their flow against the electricalresistance of the object causes the object to be heated. This process iscalled Joule, ohmic, or resistive heating. An object that is capable ofbeing inductively heated is known as a susceptor.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of amagnetic material is heated by penetrating the object with a varyingmagnetic field. A magnetic material can be considered to comprise manyatomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic fieldpenetrates such material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magneticfield. Therefore, when a varying magnetic field, such as an alternatingmagnetic field, for example as produced by an electromagnet, penetratesthe magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changeswith the varying applied magnetic field. Such magnetic dipolereorientation causes heat to be generated in the magnetic material.

When an object is both electrically-conductive and magnetic, penetratingthe object with a varying magnetic field can cause both Joule heatingand magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Moreover, the use ofmagnetic material can strengthen the magnetic field, which can intensifythe Joule heating. In each of the above processes, as heat is generatedinside the object itself, rather than by an external heat source by heatconduction, a rapid temperature rise in the object and more uniform heatdistribution can be achieved, particularly through selection of suitableobject material and geometry, and suitable varying magnetic fieldmagnitude and orientation relative to the object. Moreover, as inductionheating and magnetic hysteresis heating do not require a physicalconnection to be provided between the source of the varying magneticfield and the object, design freedom and control over the heatingprofile may be greater, and cost may be lower. The terms ‘upstream’ and‘downstream’ used herein are relative terms defined in relation to thedirection of mainstream aerosol drawn though an article or device inuse.

As used herein, the term “tobacco material” refers to any materialcomprising tobacco or derivatives or substitutes thereof. The term“tobacco material” may include one or more of tobacco, tobaccoderivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobaccosubstitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of groundtobacco, tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem,tobacco lamina, reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an activesubstance.

The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically activematerial, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance aphysiological response. The active substance may for example be selectedfrom nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance maybe naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substancemay comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, thein, vitaminssuch as B6 or Bi2 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents,derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may compriseone or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabisor another botanical.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In someembodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin orvitamin Bi2. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or bederived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives orextracts thereof. As used herein, the term “botanical” includes anymaterial derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts,leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen,husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise anactive compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtainedsynthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid,powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips,sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, staranise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint,rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus,laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose,sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon,coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin,nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint,juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma,turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle,cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm,lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry,ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana,chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint maybe chosenfrom the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Menthaniliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperitac.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Menthasuaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Menthasuaveolens.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived fromone or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereofand the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substancecomprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents,derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected fromeucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from oneor more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof andthe botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material or the amorphoussolid comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from thegroup consisting of: cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA),cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC),cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin(CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM) and cannabielsoin (CBE),cannabicitran (CBT).

The aerosol-generating material or the amorphous solid may comprise oneor more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting ofcannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The aerosol-generatingmaterial or the amorphous solid may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosol-generating material or the amorphous solid may comprisenicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosol-generating material or the amorphous solid may comprisenicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavor.

As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materialswhich, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desiredtaste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adultconsumers. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials,botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, orcombinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice),hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile,fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed(anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb,wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange,mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape,durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits,Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint,peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg,sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honeyessence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom,cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage,fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil fromany species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa,lemongrass, rooibos, flax, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate,orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper,elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary,saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle,cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm,lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol,camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers,sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugarsubstitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame,saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol,or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll,minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may beimitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They maybe in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid suchas a powder, or gas. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol,spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprisesflavor components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry.In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments,the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In someembodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted fromcannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavor may comprise a sensate, which isintended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usuallychemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranialnerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or tastenerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling,tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but isnot limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent maybe, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3. The various embodimentsdescribed herein are presented only to assist in understanding andteaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as arepresentative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/orexclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments,examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspectsdescribed herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope ofthe invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents tothe claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modificationsmay be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention.Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of,or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosedelements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other thanthose specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure mayinclude other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimedin future.

1. An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, thearticle comprising: a support element comprising at least one cavity;and an aerosol generating material disposed within the at least onecavity, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises an amorphoussolid material.
 2. An article according to claim 1 wherein the at leastone cavity comprises an aperture extending entirely through thethickness of the support element.
 3. An article according to claim 1wherein the at least one cavity comprises a recess extending partiallythrough the thickness of the support element.
 4. An article according toclaim 1 wherein the support element comprises at least two layers ofsheet material.
 5. An article according to claim 4 wherein the aerosolgenerating material is sandwiched between the at least two layers ofsheet material.
 6. An article according to claim 4, wherein the sheetmaterial has a weight of between 180 GSM and 210 GSM.
 7. An articleaccording to claim 4, wherein the sheet material has a thickness ofbetween 150 μm and 400 μm.
 8. An article according to claim 1, whereinthe thickness of the support element is between 300 μm and 800 μm
 9. Anarticle according to claim 1 wherein the aerosol generating materialcomprises an amorphous solid material having regions of differentcomposition within the same body of material.
 10. An article accordingto claim 1 comprising a plurality of discrete, spaced-apart cavitiescomprising aerosol generating material.
 11. An article according toclaim 1 wherein the aerosol generating material is perforated.
 12. Anarticle according to claim 1 wherein the aerosol generating material isprovided on a substrate.
 13. An article according to claim 12 whereinthe substrate comprises a metallic foil.
 14. An article according toclaim 1 wherein the material of the support element comprises at leastone of paper, cardboard, or foil.
 15. An article according to claim 1,wherein the material of the support element is a biodegradable material.16. An article according to claim 1, wherein the article comprises anidentifying element.
 17. An article according to claim 16, wherein theidentifying element is a barcode, a QR code, or an RFID chip.
 18. Anarticle according to claim 1 7, wherein the amorphous solid materialcomprises a gelling agent.
 19. An article according to claim 18, whereinthe gelling agent is alginate, pectin and/or carrageenan.
 20. An articleaccording to of claim 1, wherein the amorphous solid material is a driedhydrogel.
 21. An article according to of claim 1, wherein the amorphoussolid material further comprises an aerosol generating agent, an activesubstance and/or a flavorant.
 22. An article according to claim 21,wherein the aerosol generating agent is glycerol.
 23. An articleaccording to claim 21, wherein the active substance is nicotine.
 24. Anarticle according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous solid material has athickness of around 0.015 mm and 0.5 mm, or between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm,or between 0.15 mm and 0.25 mm.
 25. An article according to claim 1wherein the aerosol generating material comprises a plurality of holesarranged to demarcate discrete regions of the aerosol generatingmaterial.
 26. An article according to claim 1, wherein the supportelement comprises a substantially planar body.
 27. An article accordingto claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity extends at least partiallythrough a thickness of the support element.
 28. An article according toclaim 1, wherein the article comprises a plurality of distinct cavitiescomprising amorphous solid material, wherein each cavity comprises adifferent amorphous solid material.
 29. An aerosol generating systemcomprising an aerosol generating device and an article according toclaim
 1. 30. An aerosol generating system according to claim 29,comprising an article according to claim 28, and wherein the aerosolgenerating device is configured to provide a customizable heatingprofile such that amorphous solid material in the distinct cavities ofthe article may be heated independently.
 31. A method of manufacturingan article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, themethod comprising: providing a support element including at least onecavity in the support element; and providing an aerosol generatingmaterial comprising an amorphous solid material within the at least onecavity.
 32. A The method of claim 31 comprising providing at least twolayers of sheet material to form the support element, at least one ofthe layers including at least one cavity, and sandwiching the aerosolgenerating material between the at least two layers of sheet material.33. A The method of claim 31, comprising providing the aerosolgenerating material on a substrate, wherein the substrate may comprise ametallic foil.